(NewsTarget) Frequent flushing of the face is the most noticeable symptom in the earliest stage of rosacea. This common skin condition is pronounced "roh -zay-sha" and in the US, the number of sufferers is as high as 20 million including such well known people as previous President Bill Clinton, Prince Harry, Renee Zellweger, Cameron Diaz and the late Princess Diana.

Rosacea has four recognized stages and each stage has different signs and symptoms, all of which affect the face. Rosacea is more common in female adults with a fair skin between the ages of 30 and 60. When males do have the condition, the symptoms can be more severe.

There is no need to use harsh over-the-counter products that contain ingredients such as acids, alcohol and other irritants so they may actually worsen the rosacea condition. The goals of treatment are to control the condition and improve the appearance of your skin. Treatments are more effective the earlier they commence. Natural products including those formulated from essential oils can be used successfully and gently to eliminate the symptoms as well as the appearance of rosacea.

The first stage is pre-rosacea where the main symptom is frequent flushing affecting the forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. The skin can become so sensitive that a burning sensation may occur when cosmetics or creams are applied. The face may even become swollen. Triggers are a strong factor and while these vary from person to person, they can be emotional, chemical, environmental or even food related.

In time the tendency to flush or blush easily will progress to a more persistent redness. This is caused by the dilation of blood vessels, close to your skin's surface, in the central portion of the face, particularly the nose. Many sufferers will start to feel self conscious so you can add depression, low self-esteem and embarrassment to the problem.

The second stage is vascular rosacea when small blood vessels on the nose and cheeks swell, showing through the skin as small red lines. The skin will feel warm and look puffy, becoming even more sensitive. Flushing and redness become more persistent and then permanent.

The third stage is inflammatory rosacea where small, red bumps (some containing pus) may appear and persist. These may become painful and spread across the face. In severe cases, there is a build up of tissue on and around the nose particularly in men. Eventually, the nose may become red, enlarged and bulbous.

The final stage is ocular rosacea which is a serious condition affecting the eyes that needs to be seen by an ophthalmologist as it could lead to the loss of vision. The symptoms (in conjunction with rosacea) are irritation in the eyes, light sensitivity, a decrease in visual ability and an obvious inflammation of the lids or conjunctivitis.

In addition to starting a course of natural treatment, you can help by avoiding anything which you think might trigger a flare up. Keep a diary of such flare ups so that you can identify what might be a cause whether it is food, skin products you use, the weather or your emotions.

For your part you can:

- Protect your face from the sun in the summer or the cold in winter.

- Avoid touching or rubbing the skin on your face.

- Check the ingredients of any skin products you might use on your face to clean or moisturize. They should all contain 100% natural ingredients.

- All make-up used on your face should also be 100% natural.

With sensible care and treatment, you can overcome this problem to diminish the symptoms of rosacea. It just takes some time and effort.